Convertible seat for motor vehicles



y 1936. H. e. cLARK ET' AL 2,o39,6s2

CONVERTIBLE SEAT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed A rii 8, 1935 INVENTOR-S' ATTORNEY .wanted M y 51936 2,039,68`2

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v CONVElTIBLE sa fmoron vEncLEs i Harris G. -carke and Hugh c. Clark'e,

Vicksbrg, Miss.

Application April 8,1935, Serial No. 15,345

- claim. toi. 155-7) 4 This invention relates to convertible seats for are fixed to the base plates and arranged in the motor vehicles and its general object is to prorear end of the bodies of each of the seats is a vide a comfortable reclining surface from the use slot 6. The slots 6 extend centrally of the bodies of the front and rear seats of a vehicle, merely and through the lower surface thereof, conseby moving the backs or either one or both of the quently the slots cooperate with the base plates 5 front seats, rearwardly for disposal flush with to provide recesses for a purpose which will be the seat portions of the rear seats. presently apparent.

Another object of the invention is to provide The backs of the front seats each include a convertible seats for motor vehicles, that include body 'I having a recess 8 arranged in the rear 10 hinged back portions for the front 'seats, with surface thereof and communicating with the re- 10 means for supporting the back portions in an' cesses 8 are bores 9 and n, the iatter extending upright or reclining position, and the means for from the lower wallof its recess 8 and the former 'supporting the backs in an upright position aufrom the upper wall therecf, as clearly shown' tomatically operate when the backs are moved to in Figura 3.

that position. Mounted fol; slidable movement in the bores 9 15 A further object of the invention isto provide and ID as well as thro e c s 8 of eac of convertible seats for motorvehicles, that are exthe bodies of the backs of the front seats, is a tremely simple in construction, inexpensive to d H which is in the form 01 a bolt, and manufacture and emcient in operation and servcured to the rod l I for normal disposal upon the ice. r bottom wall of the recess 8, is a handle |2 that 20 This invention also consists in certain other has formed on its outer end a knob [3. Surfeatures of Construction and in the combination rounding t rod ll iS a c Spring ll t as its and arrangementof theseveral parts, to be hereend conVolltons engageable With the pp w inafter fully described, .illustrated in the accomof ts recess and the handle m er to urs panying drawing and speciflcauy pointd ut in the rod downwardly when the back is disposed in 25 the appended claim. the position of Figure 3.

` 'In describing our invention in detail, reference The b y Of the backs O the front seats are will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein hingedly Secured to the bodies Of the Seat P like characters denote like or corresponding parts tOnS thereOf. i through the instrumentality Of throughout the several views, and in which: hin es 5 which p efe ab y. a e of a le th coao Figure 1 is a. side vie of-th convertib t extensive with the length of the bodies, as clearly' structure which forms the subject matter of the .shown in Fi r 2. present invention with parts broken away and in The frame e t seat is ndicated by the section. reference numeral IG and Secured to the under- Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1. side of the seat portion of the frame are blocks l'l, 35

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken the letter having bores extending horizontally through the latching means for supporting, th therein, and the rear portions of the bores ll are backs of the front seats in an upright position. enlarged a a the p rpo of receivinz the Referring to the drawing in detail, the letter downturned ends 00! t e a s z t t f rm a 40 A indicates the floor of a motor vehicle, and it' part of a rod like frame 22, the arms 2l of which 40 will be noted that the front seat structure is extend rearwardly upon the body portion andare made up of a pair of seats, each of which inmounted for slidable movement in the bores s, cludes separate and distinct supporting members so that the m 22 can b moved forwardly for p ovided wi a ba plate I elevated above the operative position, as best shown in Figure 2 for floor by front l 2 and depelding real' portion disposal in the path of the backs of the front seats 45 the latter being providd wth an outwardy for supporting thebacks horizontally, as shown. directed right angularly dsposed flange 4 The forward movement of the frame 22 is limited ing openings therein to receive securing means b y thedownturned ends 20 contacting with the which cooperate ,with securing means passing muer ends the enlarged rons 'e' i through cars 5 formed on the lower ends of the front legs 2, for fixing the supporting members The seat r and ,backs of h and consequently the front seats to the floor, as and rear seats are of course upholstered as shown, will be apparent upon inspection of 'Flgures 1 consequently when the backs are arranged to a and 2 I horizontal position, the seat portions of both the The body of th at ortion ot the front ats front and back seats as well as the backs of the u front seats provide a oomfortable reclining surface.

From the above description and disclosure of the drawing, it will be obvious that we have provided convertible seats for a motor vehicle, that include hinged backs for the front seats and means for supporting them in an upright or horizontal position, the supporting means being the rod like frame 22 when the backs are in the latter position, and the rods ll when the backs are in the former position, it being obvious from Figure 1 that the rods II extend beyond the lower ends of the backs for disposal against the depending rear portions 3 of the supporting members for the front seats to hold the backsin an upright position, and when it is desired to move the backs or either one'thereof to a horizontal position, the rod or rods ll are moved against the pressure of the coil springs for moving the free ends of the rods away from the portions 3. When so moved, the rods automatically slide into the recesses provided by the slots 6, and automatically slide out of the recesses for disposal against the portions 3 when the backs are raised to an upright position.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and nove] features of our invention will be readily apparent.

We desire it to be understood that we may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What we claim is:

A convertible seat structure for motor vehicles comprising a rear seat, a front seat, a back for the front seat and being hingedly secured to the seat portion thereof, said seat portion having a recess extending horizontally therein from the rear end thereof, spring pressed latching means including a rod Secured to the back, supporting means for the seat portion and arranged in the path of the rod to be e'ngaged thereby for latching and holding the back in an upright position, a rod like frame slidably mounted in the rear seat for disposal into and out of the path of the back and adapted for supporting the latter when released and swung to a horizontal position for cooperation with the 'seat portions of the front and rear seats to provide a reclining surface, and said rod being receivable in the recess for cooperation with the rod like frame in supporting the back in said position.

, HARRIS G. CLARKE.

HUGH C. CLARKE. 

